Lake Chad

Lake Chad
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Lake Chad
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Lake Chad
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Lake Chad
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Lake Chad
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Location of Lake Chad in Chad.
Lake Chad
LocationSahelian zone at the conjunction of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger
Primary inflowsChari River, Yobe River, Ngadda River
Primary outflowsBahr el-Ghazal
Basin countriesChad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger
Surface area2,000 km2 (770 sq mi)
Max. depth2 m (6 ft 7 in)
IslandsBogomerom Archipelago
Settlements
Official nameLac Tchad
Designated17 June 2001
Reference no.1072[1]
Official namePartie tchadienne du lac Tchad
Designated14 August 2001
Reference no.1134[2]
Official nameLake Chad Wetlands in Nigeria
Designated30 April 2008
Reference no.1749[3]
Official namePartie Camerounaise du Lac Tchad
Designated2 February 2010
Reference no.1903[4]

Lake Chad (Arabic: بحيرة تشاد, Kanuri: Sádǝ, French: Lac Tchad) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area of 1×10^6 km2 (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lakeside is rich in reeds and swamps, and the plain along the lake is fertile, making it an important irrigated agricultural area. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish producing areas in Africa.

Lake Chad is divided into deeper southern parts and shallower northern parts. The water source of the lake mainly comes from rivers such as the Chari River that enter the lake. The water level varies greatly seasonally, and the area of the lake also changes dramatically. During the African humid period, the area of Lake Chad reached 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi). Due to the increasingly arid climate, the lake surface gradually shrank. In the 19th century, Lake Chad still had an area of 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi). However, due to climate change and human water diversion, Lake Chad has been greatly reduced since the mid-1970s, and its area has fluctuated between 2,000 and 5,000 km2 (770 and 1,930 sq mi).

  1. ^ "Lac Tchad". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Partie tchadienne du lac Tchad". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Lake Chad Wetlands in Nigeria". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Partie Camerounaise du Lac Tchad". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2018.

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